Administration of George W. Bush, 2004 / Oct. 31 that if elected, I would uphold the honor NOTE: The President spoke at 4:25 p.m. at and the dignity of the office. With your the University Air Center. In his remarks, help, with your hard work, I will do so he referred to Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida; Car- for 4 more years. ole Jean Jordan, chairman, Republican Party Thanks for coming. God bless. Thank of Florida; entertainers the Bellamy Broth- you all. ers; and former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. Remarks in Cincinnati, Ohio October 31, 2004 The President. Thank you all. Thank you I’m proud to be here with Senator Jim all for coming. I am here to ask for your Bunning from Kentucky, and I hope the vote, and I am here to ask for your help. citizens of Kentucky put him back into of- We have come to the great city of Cin- fice. And we love Mary as well. cinnati, Ohio, asking for you to turn your Steve Chabot, the Congressman from friends and neighbors out to the polls on this district, is with us. Congressman, thank Tuesday. With your help, we will carry you. My friend Congressman Rob Portman Ohio again and win a great victory on Tues- is with us tonight. Thank you for being day. here, Rob. Perhaps the most important reason of all The Lieutenant Governor from Ohio, to put me back into office is so that Laura Jennette Bradley, is with us. State Treas- will be the First Lady for 4 more years. urer Joe ‘‘Write in My Name’’ Deters is I’m proud of my runningmate, Dick Che- with us. I want to thank Betty Montgomery. ney. I admit it, he does not have the I want to thank all the State and local offi- cials. I want to thank Mike Sodrel, who waviest hair in the race. [Laughter] You is from the Indiana Ninth Congressional all will be happy to know I didn’t pick District. I strongly support Mike’s bid for him because of his hairdo. I picked him the United States Congress. And I strongly because of his judgment, his experience. support the bid of Geoff Davis from Ken- He’s getting the job done for the American tucky’s Fourth Congressional District. people. I want to thank my friend Anthony I want to thank one of Cincinnati’s great Munoz for being here today. I’m proud citizens, Johnny Bench, for having intro- to call him friend. Marty Brennaman. I duced me today. We can judge a person want to thank my friend Larry Gatlin and by the company he keeps, and I’m keeping brother Rudy for joining us today. Yes. I good company up here on this stage. I’m want to thank the Wil Gravatt Band. proud you’re here, Johnny. Thank you very But most of all, I want to thank you much. all. I want to thank the people who have I’m proud to be here with some elected been putting up the signs and making the officials from the great State of Ohio. Gov- phone calls and doing all the hard work. ernor Bob Taft and First Lady Hope Taft You’re turning out this vote on Tuesday. are with us. Thank you for coming. Senator This election takes place in a time of Mike DeWine. Senator George Voinovich great consequence. The person who sits in is out campaigning, but put him back into the Oval Office for the next 4 years will office for 6 more years. set the course of the war on terror and 2889 Oct. 31 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2004 the direction of our economy. America will This election comes down to clear need strong, determined, optimistic leader- choices on five vital issues facing every ship, and I am ready to get the job done American family. The first clear choice con- for 4 more years. cerns your family’s budget. When I ran for Audience members. Four more years! President 4 years ago, I pledged to lower Four more years! Four more years! taxes for American families. I kept my The President. My 4 years as your Presi- word. We doubled the child credit. We re- dent confirmed some lessons and taught duced the marriage penalty. We believe the some new ones. I’ve learned to expect the Tax Code ought to encourage, not penalize unexpected. I’ve learned firsthand how hard marriage. We reduced taxes on everybody it is to send young men and women into who pays taxes. As a result of these good battle. I am grateful for the lessons I have policies, real after-tax income—the money learned from my parents: Respect every in your pocket to spend on groceries or person; do your best; live every day to its house payments or rent—is up 10 percent fullest. I’ve been strengthened by my faith since I took office. and humbled by its reminder that every When you’re out there convincing your life is part of a larger story. I understand friends and neighbors to vote, remind them how crucial it is for the American President what our economy has been through. Six months prior to my arrival in Washington, to lead with clarity and purpose. As Presi- the stock market was in serious decline. dents from Lincoln to Roosevelt to Reagan And then we faced the recession and cor- so clearly demonstrated, a President must porate scandals and an attack on our coun- not shift with the wind. A President has try that cost us a million jobs in just 3 to make tough decisions and stand by them. months after the attack. The role of the President is not to follow But we acted. Our economy is creating the path of the latest polls. The role of jobs and growing faster than any major a President is to lead based on principle economy in the world. We’ve added— and conviction and conscience. During homeownership rate is at an alltime high these 4 years, I’ve learned that whatever in America. More minorities own a home your strengths are, you are going to need today than ever before in our Nation’s his- them, and whatever your shortcomings are, tory. The entrepreneurial spirit is strong. people will notice them. Sometimes I’m a Small businesses are flourishing all across little too blunt. I get that from my mother. the State of Ohio. Ohio farmers are making [Laughter] Sometimes I mangle the English a living. We added more than 1.9 million language. I get that from my dad. [Laugh- new jobs in the last 13 months. The na- ter] But all the time, whether you agree tional unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. with me or not, you know where I stand, That’s lower than the average rate of the what I believe, and where I’m going to 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. lead. I’ve traveled your State a lot. I know You cannot say that about my opponent. that in certain areas of this State, people Audience members. Boo-o-o! are struggling. But we’re making progress. The President. I think it’s fair to say that Ohio added 5,500 new jobs last month. consistency is not his strong suit. [Laugh- Your unemployment rate has gone from 6.3 ter] I look at an issue and take a principled to 6 percent in one month. This economy stand. My opponent looks at an issue and is strong, and it is getting stronger. tries to take every side. And the people My opponent has an economic plan too. of Ohio know the difference. And that’s He voted to increase taxes 98 times in the one of the reasons why on Tuesday we’re 20 years he’s been in the United States going to carry your great State. Senate. 2890 Administration of George W. Bush, 2004 / Oct. 31 Audience members. Boo-o-o! frivolous and junk lawsuits that make health The President. That’s five times every care too expensive. In all we do to improve year he’s been in the Senate. I would call health care, we will make sure the medical that a leading indicator—[laughter]—a pre- decisions are made by doctors and patients, dictable pattern. Couple that with the fact not by officials in Washington, DC. that he’s promised $2.2 trillion in new Fed- As you can imagine, my opponent has eral spending—that’s trillion with a ‘‘T.’’ a different approach. He voted for the edu- That’s a lot—[laughter]—even for a Senator cation reform but now wants to weaken from Massachusetts. [Laughter] the accountability standards. He’s proposing They asked him how he’s going to pay a big-Government health care plan. I don’t for it. He said, ‘‘Oh, we’ll just tax the rich.’’ know if you remember the debate when The problem is, is that by raising the top they said, ‘‘Tell us about your health care two brackets, one, you penalize the small- plan.’’ And one of the things he said was, business sector of this country, and sec- ‘‘The Government doesn’t have anything to ondly, you only raise between 600 and 800 do with it.’’ I could barely contain myself. billion dollars. That’s far short of the 2.2 [Laughter] The Government has got a lot trillion. That’s what I would call a tax gap.